How Often Should I Replace My Night Guard?

Once you start wearing a night guard, the sleep quality difference between your old, pre-dental appliance-self and your new slumber is, well, night and day. You become so attached to it that you never want to risk an evening of rest without it! 

But … no matter how much you love the results of consistently wearing it, your night guard won’t last forever. Eventually, you’ll need to do some maintenance or get a new one.

The question is, how do you know when it’s time to replace your night guard versus when it can be fixed?

This blog explains everything you need to know about taking proper care of your night guard to make it last, and recognizing when it’s time to throw in the towel and get a new one.

How Often Should You Replace Your Night Guard?

Before we get started, let’s clarify that the night guards we will discuss in this article are not the cheap over-the-counter mouthguards you’ll find in a pharmacy. Those are inexpensive for a reason: they’re not made of quality materials. 

Once you’ve worn an OTC guard for a short time, you may bite through it or find it uncomfortable. At that point, replacing it is your best option.

However, if you don’t want to repeat the cycle every few months, it’s time to invest in a high-quality, custom-fit night guard.

Understanding Your Night Guard’s Lifespan

Since night guards, also called occlusal splints, only work if they’re worn long-term, they need to be somewhat comfortable. This goal is met through a combination of durable and flexible materials, typically acrylic or thermoplastics. The better quality material, the longer the splint should last.

Yet, there are various factors beyond the materials used that are involved in the lifespan of a night guard, including:

• The reason you’re wearing it — Most people use night guards to reduce the symptoms of bruxism, a sleep disorder involving jaw clenching and teeth grinding. The stronger the grinder, the more wear and tear on the guard.

• How often you wear the night guard — Nightly use is the most effective way to reduce bruxing symptoms, but it also means your guard will need to be fixed or replaced faster than if you rarely use it.

• How well you maintain your guard — The material used to fabricate a night guard requires specific cleaning and maintenance. Knowing and following the dos and don’ts for night guard care can significantly extend its lifespan. (How to Clean Your Mouth Guard)

• Your sleep habits — Do you chew on your night guard in your sleep? This behavior happens when the guard is too soft, tempting the jaw muscles to start chewing.

No matter what kind of night guard you use, it will eventually need to be replaced because it won’t fit. As you age, your jaw grows and your teeth move. Usually, this change happens so gradually that you don’t notice it, but when your night guard becomes too snug to slide over your teeth, it’s a sign of your body’s natural shift.

Replacing your night guard at least once a year ensures your oral appliance grows with these changes.

In addition to outgrowing your night guard at a normal pace, the materials can wear down (degrade). Thermoplastics should never be exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures or strong chemicals. Even toothpaste or mouthwash can cause degradation.

Proper maintenance and care, mild to moderate bruxing, and high-quality materials make the longest-lasting night guards, but we’ll break down what that means by the numbers next.

Night Guards By the Years

For mild bruxing, the average OTC, boil-and-bite night guard might last about a year, depending on how often it’s used.

However, studies show that because these OTC guards aren’t designed for your specific mouth shape, they can be harmful to your oral health, especially if they aren’t molded correctly. This issue can cause teeth shifting and other painful side effects.

On the other hand, high-quality custom guards can last years.

Moderate bruxers with a soft or hybrid guard may not need to replace theirs for 2-5 years, while mild bruxers might get 5 or more years out of their investment.

What Features Make the Best Night Guards?

Night guards create a barrier between the upper and lower teeth, effectively keeping your enamel safe from the harmful damage of grinding. Because the teeth can’t gain traction to grind, the jaw muscles relax from their tight clenching, and you enjoy a peaceful night of sleep.

All of this depends on whether you have the right custom-fit oral appliance for your needs, though.

OTC guards are budget-friendly, but not always beneficial as a symptom reliever (as mentioned earlier). The night guards your dentist provides are of optimal quality and created from an impression of your mouth, so the fit is perfect. But the price tag stops many grinders from getting the help they need. 

Online professional providers like us at JS Dental Lab give you an in-between option. You get the top-quality, impression-made night guard designed for your unique teeth shape without the extra costs associated with a dental visit.

Choose Your Style

Your oral health issues are the first thing that determines the type of guard you’ll need. If you’re a bruxer, you have a choice of different night guards that may help you resolve your symptoms.

But if you have restorations or dentures, a custom-made guard is essential to prevent further damage. Patients with a temporomandibular joint issue (TMJ disorder) should talk to their TMJ specialist to determine the right night guard for their condition.

Whether you choose a one-size-fits-all, boil-and-bite, or custom-fit guard, it must be comfortable, or you won’t wear it. Guards made from an impression help with this part, as they slide seamlessly over your teeth and along the roof of the mouth, forming a protective barrier against bruxing damage.

The material matters, too:

• Mild grinders or those with sensitive mouths can benefit from a soft guard that is more flexible than durable.

• Moderate grinders often prefer dual-layer, hybrid guards with a soft inner layer and a hard but flexible outer layer.

• If your grinding is strong enough to bite through those styles, a hard night guard might be best.

How Can You Take Care of Your Night Guard?

Once you invest in a night guard and see (or feel) the difference, you’ll want to take care of it!

Follow these dos and don’ts to ensure your new oral appliance lasts as long as possible:

Dos

Take care of your night guard with daily, weekly, and monthly habits, just as you do your teeth, and you’ll extend its lifespan significantly.

Do add these small steps to your routine:

• Rinse the guard with warm water daily to eliminate bacteria buildup from the night before.

• Use denture cleaner tablets for a deeper weekly cleaning.

• Invest in an ultrasonic cleaner for monthly cleanings that eliminate germs from all the nooks and crannies of the guard. (Everything You Need to Know Guide to Ultrasonic Cleaners)

Keep the night guard in its case in between cleanings, but remember to clean the storage container at least monthly, too. This step is simple if you have an ultrasonic cleaner.

Don’ts

Keep these “do not” statements in mind to ensure your night guard has a long lifespan:

• Never put the night guard away wet. Wetness gives bacteria the moist, dark environment necessary to thrive, leaving you open to illness-causing germs.

• Never use harsh chemicals to clean your guard. Even using a toothbrush and toothpaste or mouthwash can degrade the material.

• Don’t put your night guard in the dishwasher or otherwise expose it to extreme temperatures, like keeping it in your car or the fridge. Hot water and direct sunlight are fast ways to deteriorate the thermoplastics and acrylic.

Forgetting any of these three “don’ts” can cause the material to warp or crack, forcing an early repair or replacement. If you see discoloration, it’s a warning that your guard needs to be deep cleaned or may have to be replaced.

When Is Your Night Guard Too Far Gone to Fix?

Even with the best care and upkeep, your night guard can become damaged or ill-fitting. In some cases, you can fix it with dental glue — as long as the guard still fits comfortably. 

If you notice any of the following, though, it’s likely time to replace the guard entirely:

• Significant cracks that can’t be comfortably covered with dental glue

• A fit that’s too loose or too tight (This is a sign that your jawbone or teeth may be shifting.)

• Having new dental restorations like fillings or dental implants, a root canal, tooth extractions, or other dental work done

• Thinking that your teeth have changed for other reasons, such as a cavity or hormonal teeth shifting

• Noticing an increase in jaw pain, headaches, or other bruxism symptoms

Replacements happen. That’s another reason why where you buy your guard matters. At JS Dental Lab, we guarantee your guard lasts at least one year, but there’s no promise that you won’t lose it or your dog won’t eat it.

If you need a spare or new night guard, repurchasing through JS Dental Lab is easy. If you’re swapping a broken one out for the same fit, your impression remains on file for a faster and cheaper perfect fit replacement!

Conclusion

Night guards can be an excellent way to protect your dental health and overall wellness from the effects of bruxism, but even with regular cleaning, your appliance won’t last forever.

Just as regular dental checkups are necessary to monitor your oral health for changes, so is an occasional update to your night guard.

If you see signs of wear or the guard doesn’t fit comfortably, it may be time to replace it. Shop JS Dental Lab for your next high-quality, affordable replacement night guard today!